I would like your advice. I am a huge fan of the science fiction works of H.G.Wells. (The Time Machine, The Invisible Man and The War of the Worlds etc.) His science fiction is my favorite form of entertainment.

I have found that Mr. Wells was a rabid anti-Catholic. He even wrote a book attacking the Catholic Church called Crux Ansata.

Should I continue to read his works? What is your opinion on this?

E.T.

TIA responds:

Hello E.T.,

Given that H.G. Wells is definitively anti-Catholic, it seems that this precept of Our Lord applies here: 'No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or he will hold to the one, and despise the other' (Luke 16:13).

If you want to remain entirely Catholic, reject all those who attack our Catholic Faith. Otherwise their anti-Catholicism will enter by osmosis into your soul through the admiration you tribute them.

Cordially,

TIA correspondence desk

Global Warming & Abortion

Hi,

This is why Christians have to be careful about the global warming issue:

"Although the assertion has been contested in many scientific quarters, the environmentalist movement maintains that climate change, or global warming, is caused by high human population and industrialisation and can be cured by reducing both. In most cases, depopulation programs involving mass sterilizations, contraceptive campaigns and abortion are prescribed as the solution to the crisis."

I am quoting from a one-year old article whose points in my opinion are still timely

F.R.

St. Eligius

TIA,

Can you tell me where I may be able to purchase a St Eligius medal? He was also known by his French name as St Eloi or St Eloy.

D.S.

TIA responds:

D.S.,

Unfortunatelly we cannot offer you a precise place to purchase a medal of St. Eligius. We suggest that you call Catholic Treasures (626-359-4893) or Mother of Our Savior (812-967-2541) for information. If you were looking just for pictures of him, you could find them here.

Cordially,

TIA correspondent desk

No Scientific Support for Evolution

TIA,

Pius XII wrote: "...in as far as it inquires into the origin of the human body as coming from pre-existent and living matter..."

The above statement from Humani generis is extremely disturbing. In effect Pius XII does not exclude evolution or what is theistic evolution, which purports that we humans evolved from primitive biological matter to monkey-like creatures that were finally given a soul by God. What else could "coming from pre-existent and living matter" mean? The current stand of the Novus Ordo is compatible with Pius XII's comments: So why just blame them alone?

The Biblical account of creation in Genesis is very clear. It has to be literally interpreted. Whether evolution is true or not, the issue is not open to debate as there is nothing to debate about. Evolution cannot be true because the Bible says otherwise. The theory of evolution is nothing more than that: a theory, a fraud being forced on us. Biological systems are far too complicated to evolve.

Here is what one scientist has to say (James Shapiro, a biochemist at the University of Chicago): "There are no detailed Darwinian accounts for the evolution of any fundamental biochemical or cellular system, only a variety of wishful speculations."

Dr. N.R., India

Our Lady of Snow of Kallikulam

Dear Sir, Greetings,

While browsing the internet, I come to know about your website and found that you are collecting/promoting Mother Mary related articles.

In this regard I would like to introduce you about Our Lady of Snow, Kallikulam, India. It is one of the prominent Roman Catholic Churches dedicated to Mother Mary. Please visit this website for more information.

Regards,

T.M.R., India

TIA responds:

T.M.R.,

Thank you for your information. It was kind of you to let us know about this devotion.

We have not had time to make a deep analysis of that devotion, but at first glance, we do not agree with the ecumenical note that website gives to this devotion.

We believe that a true devotion of Our Lady should be par excellence a means turned toward converting people from false religions to the Catholic Faith, not to invite pagans and heretics to stay in their errors and "to be spiritually strengthened and renewed" in those errors, as it is affirmed there.

You can find a summary of how Our Lady is honored with this same invocation in Rome and in the West here.

Cordially,

TIA correspondence desk.

Two Sister Lucys

TIA,

I'm a bit late to all this, but I find it very interesting - and troubling. Somebody else has probably already pointed it out, but one of the strongest pieces of evidence that there are in fact two Sr. Lucys is the strong resemblance between the woman identified by ITV as "Mother Celina" and the older Lucy II. In fact, "Older Lucy II" looks like "Mother Celina through the Years."

I refer to photos from a website, where the editor didn't pick up on the ITV Mother Celina snafu and quite understandably put the photo (identified as Mother Celina on your site, after much ado) in line with other Lucy II photos, not perceiving that they don't represent the same person.

My point is that Lucy II looks more like the ITV Mother Celina than Sister Lucy in her early years. Maybe the Mother Celina photo is really Sister Lucy as you originally thought from the ITV identification, but then we're back at square one and your original analysis.

I think that Dr. Horvat should pursue this and attempt to get an explanation from Church officials. I pray that Sister Lucy will intercede for all of us in the Church today.

Thank you for your helpful - though disturbing - information. In some ways, I wish I had not stumbled onto your site, for I was much happier in my ignorance than I have been since becoming aware of all this. But no matter, as long as the truth comes to light and the fate of the real Sister Lucy is made known.

God bless,

L. B.

P.S. I think that you should keep a copy of the original Carmelite death-notice page residing on your site and note the date that it was copied from the Carmelite website onto yours. The Carmelites have apparently updated their site since you copied the page in question to your server, but the fact that the erroneous date was ever there to begin with is suspicious. Perhaps the "error" or"signal" - placed there by a sympathetic sister who wanted the real Sister Lucy to be at least recognized by her true death date? - was only discovered when somebody new got involved in the upgrading of the site from the old format.

TIA responds:

L.B.,

You may want to look here at the third picture sent to us from Portugal by a reader. In it, Mother Celina, a woman in her 40-50s, appears with the old Sister Lucy II. Our Portuguese reader affirmed that the younger nun is Mother Celina, Superior of the Carmelites in Coimbra, a known public person. He identified her as the ITV Mother Celina as well. The only difference is that in the ITV picture, Mother Celina is wearing glasses.

We believe that these very positive data given by a local witnesses would discredit the hypothesis that Mother Celina and Sister Lucy are the same person.

Nonetheless, we thank you for writing to us and for the general good will you show.

Cordially,

TIA correspondence desk

Posted July 28, 2009

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